Throughout the world, an estimated 4.5 million people are trafficked for sex, including children. Often this crisis is associated with foreign countries, but it is much closer than many would like to think. In the United States, the FBI estimates that anywhere from 100,000-300,000 American children are involved in prostitution. Many of these sales are conducted online at classified ad sites such as Craigslist or Backpage.com, which is under investigation by the federal government. Executives at Backpage.com are using the Communications Decency Act of 1996 as a defense against being held responsible for the content made by users.

“I am Jane Doe,” a new documentary scheduled to be released next week, closely examines the devastating impact of sex trafficking minors and the deeply involved role of commercial websites as a vehicle for these encounters. Cindy McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), is involved with the documentary as the co-chair of the Arizona Human Trafficking Council. She shares with Soledad how she became an advocate against human trafficking and her thoughts on the struggle between free speech online and protecting against the sale of children.